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Archived Newsletters
April 2003
In this edition
Report from the Chairperson
Editorial
Attention Parents
Each Belongs...Thank You...Welcome
Katie
Matte Story
Count Your Blessings...
Dr Seuss & Noah's Ark
Rules of Life
Notices
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Happy Spring!
Since my last update to you a great deal has been happening with EINS and the various projects it has undertaken.
We have completed the research that we began in January 2002 and have written a report that is in the final draft will be ready to go to the printer within the next few weeks. The report contains 28 recommendations, which the EINS board has accepted. The board used the recommendations as the basis for a three-year action plan, which was developed at a special meeting of the board on February 22nd, 2003.
As mentioned in my October report, two of the main recommendations to come out of our research related to policy development and information management. Last fall EINS was successful in obtaining funding from HRDC for another year-long project which will focus on the above two recommendations. The researchers, Antoinette Duplessis and Laura Lee Septon, who EINS employed through the last grant, have filled these two positions. Antoinette and Laura Lee are fully immersed in the new project, which began officially on February 10th and we hope to meet with all of the programs in the fall to present draft proposals on personnel policies and information on computer resources available through EINS. Although this project is focusing on the above two recommendations, the EINS board will be addressing the remaining 26 in its action plan and the two staff will be assisting the board in a variety of ways.
February also saw a delegation from EINS and a parent of a child recently in a program meet with the Honorable David Morse, Minister of Community Services, to discuss issues of concern and to present our recommendations and final report. The funding recommendations were strongly emphasized during the meeting. He was unable to make promises, but said that our case would be seriously considered. I also presented the research at a national symposium on Early Intervention at the Mount Saint Vincent Centre of Excellence in November.
Early Intervention Week was held during the last week of February this year and was by all accounts a success again this year. The EINS publicity committee initiated a green ribbon campaign this year (We gave one to the Minister to wear.) In addition, the milk carton project will be continued, but was slated to begin a few weeks later than usual this year. I have had reports of some great community board projects such as media interviews, the playing of the EINS video on cable stations and in malls, fund raising events, and open houses.
Finally, a fairly new EINS board committee, the Parent Support Committee, has been formed and recently met. Taking guidance from the recommendation from our research to provide parents with more timely information on a variety of issues, the committee has decided that to meet this need it would like a regular column in the existing EINS newsletter. Stay tuned for more information on this important initiative.
Good luck to everyone and I hope that all of the hard work that is being done by the EINS board, community boards and early interventionists will translate into a better system that will make things better for children with special needs and their families for many years to come.
Many thanks again to Barb for all of her hard work on, and dedication to,
the EINS newsletter!
Sincerely
Isabel den Heyer
Editorial
..And Do We Know What Service Truly Is?
The provision of family-centered service is the central tenet of an Early Intervention program and 'family-centered' has become a catch phrase that is much used by Early Intervention professionals and many of the other agencies providing supports and resources that we access for families that encompass a child with developmental differences. Our standards and guidelines manual defines family-centered as "the philosophies, principles and practices that put the family at the heart of the service." Across disciplines and settings, family-centered services recognize the centrality of family to the lives of children. These services are guided by fully informed choices made by the family and focus on the strengths and capabilities of our families.
In our work and in our professional development opportunities we have spent much time talking about what makes a service family-centered. What we have neglected to consider is the definition of service. In our roles as Early Interventionists or any professional working with families and young children, even simply as a member of our own community...what does it mean 'to serve'. To encourage your thoughts to journey along this path I would like to share excerpts from a wonderful book that was a Christmas present from one of the families I serve...My Grandfathers's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD.
"Service is about taking life personally, letting the lives that touch yours touch you. True service is not a relationship between an expert and a problem; it is far more genuine than that. It is a relationship between people who bring the full resources of their combined humanity to the table and share them generously. Service goes beyond expertise. Service is another way of life.
Many times when we help we do not really serve. Those who help see life differently from those who serve and may affect life differently as well. It is hard not to see the person you are helping someone weaker than yourself, someone more needy. When we help we become aware of our strength because we are using it. Others become aware of our strength as well and may feel diminished by it. But we do not serve with our strength;we serve with ourselves. We draw from all our experiences. Service is a relationship between equals. A helping relationship may incur a sense of debt, but service, like healing, is mutual. Service is free from debt. In helping, we may find a sense of satisfaction; in serving, we have an experience of gratitude.
Serving is also different from fixing. Seeing yourself as a fixer may cause you to see brokenness everywhere, to sit in judgement on life itself. When we fix others, we may not see their hidden wholeness or trust the integrity of the life in them. Fixers trust their own expertise. When we serve, we see the unborn wholeness in others; we collaborate with it and strengthen it. Others may then be able to see their wholeness for themselves for the first time.
All who serve, serve life. What we serve is something worthy of our attention, of the commitment of our time and our lives. Service is not about fixing life, outwitting life, manipulating life, controlling life, or struggling to gain mastery over life. When we serve we discover that life is holy.
Service is closer to generosity than it is duty. It connects us to one another and to life itself. When you serve, your work itself will sustain you, renew you and bless you, often over many years. Service is the final healing of isolation and loneliness. It is the lived experience of belonging. Service is the work of the soul."
Barb
Attention Parents
by Karen WalshAs a result of the focus groups that were held last year by EINS we have now formed a Parent Support Committee.
The first priority of our committee is to provide parents with timely and relevant information. The initial step in providing this is through this newsletter. We want to use this space to give YOU the information that YOU want or need. The research project has provided us with several topics to get us started but we still need your input.
If you have any ideas for topics that you would like to see covered in this newsletter or if you have an article or story to contribute, e-mail our committee chair at walshs@ns.sympatico.ca. If you do not have access to the Internet, tell your Early Interventionist about your ideas and ask them to send them to us.
Keep your eyes on this space in every copy of the newsletter to stay updated on how EINS is trying to help you with your everyday challenges.
ADVOCACY
by Mark McClellandIt is our intention as a parent committee of EINS to produce an ongoing dialogue regarding advocacy issues for parents of special needs kids. We plan to include a written segment in the EINS newsletter and web site.
Parent input into decision making regarding the delivery of all services for our special needs kids is a fundamental necessity. The intuition gained through parenting must not be overlooked when assessing the needs of these kids.
Your input as parents must be sought and considered. It is our intent to share experiences and best practices for advocating for our kids. It is also our intention to try and facilitate communication between families with similar challenges or common interests.
This is to be an ongoing effort with the hope of empowering and informing parents as how to access the best possible care for their children. If you have any suggestions as to how to best accomplish our current and future goals, please let us know.
DID YOU KNOW?
Any parent of a child that is on the caseload of an Early Intervention program in Nova Scotia can apply to EINS for assistance to attend conferences or workshops on topics relevant to their children? The maximum amount for each event is $100 per family. To get more information, contact your Early Interventionist or Donna Dexter at (902) 354-5890 or doug.dexter@ns.sympatico.ca. See the professional development section of this newsletter for upcoming events.
THE JOY OF PARENTING
Before I was a Mom...
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or knew words to lullabies.
Before I was a Mom....
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about
immunizations.
Before I was a Mom...
I had never been Puked on, Pooped on, Spit on, Chewed on, Peed on. I had complete
control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom...
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give
shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over
a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom...
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I
never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never
knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a
Mom.
Before I was a Mom...
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know
how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between
a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me
feel so important.
Before I was a Mom...
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make
sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable
of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
PARENT’S CORNER Making your dreams a reality!!
That’s what 7 year old Misal Lafford from Afton did when he went on the ice for the first time this year using his sledge. He came off the ice and said "Mom, I was playing hockey today, and I don’t have to stand up. I can be as good as Wayne Gretzky".
Ever since Misal was 2 years old and could talk he wanted to play hockey. When Misal’s mother, Angela, went to register Megan, Misal’s sister, for hockey she asked if there was anything for paraplegics as Misal has Spina Bifida. Angela got in contact with the President of CanSkate Program and found out they were able to order a hockey sledge.
Misal’s family and his community fundraised to purchase the sledge
this winter. Misal is learning how to maneuver the sledge while stick handling
the puck. For now he has a coach with him an hour a week through the Can Skate
Program. This gives him some individual instruction as well as playing the
game with his teammates. Angela said the look on Misal’s face when he
scored his first assist was amazing. Her goal is to have a team of hockey
players on sledges. But for now she is taking it one sledge at a time. She
encourages parents to teach their children
independence and keep the dreams alive. For more information contact
Angela at 386 2670.
We are proud of you Misal !
EACH BELONGS...
Our children are among those who are consistently
rejected by other children, who are not made welcome enough, who never learn
to feel at home at school. Sometimes they don't even get a chance to be with
other kids, instead, spending their school careers in special education classes.
The effort of educators and therapists always seems to be toward improving
them, making up for their deficits, making them socially acceptable. We often
buy into this idea that if we can just 'fix' them enough, they will be likeable,
they'll become qualified to join the others. But they start from the outside,
having to earn their way in.
In time we see that no matter how 'good' they get, no matter how much progress
they make, how many negative behaviours are extinguished or skills mastered,
they will never be good enough. They will never qualify. But the cost of social
exclusion is too high. Each and every child needs to be accepted as he is.
As Vivian Paley says, "The group must change its attitudes and
expectations towards those who, for whatever reason, are not yet part of the
system."
As a family, and as a society, we must change group attitudes, expectations,
and rules.
For if any child deserves to belong, then every child deserves to belong.
(Excerpt from Changed by a child: Companion notes for parents of a child with a disability by Barbara Gill)
Thank You!!
A huge and heartfelt thank you goes to our wonderful supporters, the Truckers
Association of Nova Scotia!! They have once again been raising funds
for EINS and for our partner organization the IWK...on April 12th cheques
of more than $8,125 were presented to both organizations at the TANS
annual banquet in Truro. It was beautiful and overwhelming to receive
their standing ovation for the good work we do...
Thanks to our stanch TANS friends from all Early Interventionists,
our EINS Board of Directors, all the program boards that we represent and
all of the families served. Your kindness makes ever widening circles to support
many families in Nova Scotia!
We hope that we reflect well your self esteem and generosity...
"Big thanks to Scotsburn Dairy for once again enabling
us to advertise Early Intervention services very publicly and effectively
on the side of their two litre milk cartons. We love seeing us there!!"
Thank you to Human Resource Development Canada (HRDC) and
the Early and Middle Years Action Committee of LMDA for their
belief in the work we do. Their continued support for the implementation year
of our research project is much appreciated.
Welcome and Congratulations:
Welcome to Lauren Spraque who is the new Coordinator of the Bright Beginnings program in Annapolis County.
Congratulations to Carol and Staff of First Steps program in Lunenburg County on their move to new offices in Mahone Bay!!
Katie
Matte Story
Crossing Canada for Autism to Raise $1 millionOn July 5, a brave and dedicated father will begin his second cross-country cycle for autism. He will dedicate his trip not only to his son, Kurtis, but also to the one in every 300 Canadian children who are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). John Keating, Courtice, Ontario, resident and a Durham Regional Police Sergeant has begun preparations for his 7,300-kilometre cycle across Canada. Toronto dad, Luc Vandermeeren, whose daughter Sara also has autism, will join him. They will start their ride in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 23rd.
John became involved in fundraising for autism research in 1998 when the frustration of not having adequate information about autism became unbearable. "I was reaching out for support, trying to get my son the best care, and there were few, if any, resources to tap into," says John. "It was obvious that we needed to try and raise awareness and I felt that I could contribute."
Contribute he did. His first cycle tour took him across the United States, and his efforts raised $1.3 million for autism research in the U.S.. For this year’s Canadian tour, John and Luc hope to raise $1 million for Canadian autism research.
During Cycle for Autism, John and Luc will be stopping in numerous cities across the country to participate in fundraising events. Local residents are encouraged to join John and Luc as pledge-riders when the cycle reaches their city. In fact, John and Luc are going to attempt to set a Guinness World Record in Oshawa, Ontario, for the greatest number of people on bicycles at a single event. They hope to have over 50,000 people join them for a 10-kilometre ride through the city on Saturday, August 9, 2003.
“There are over 105,000 Canadians living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Almost one in 300 children are affected by ASD. What was once viewed as a rare disorder is now one of the most common neurological disorders affecting children. More than ever we need to find some answers - answers based on excellent research and practice,” says Margaret Spoelstra, Executive Director, Autism Society Ontario. “John and Luc’s ride will raise awareness of autism in Canada and will raise funds that will help Canadian researchers solve these puzzling disorders.”
The funds for ASD research raised by Cycle for Autism will help us better understand the nature of ASD, the best way to help children and adults with ASD throughout their lives, and the impact ASD has on families and communities across Canada. So many important questions remain unanswered about ASD and because we are seeing more children with ASD than ever before, we need those answers in order to provide the best treatment and support possible.
“Researchers have already shown us that early identification and intervention make a difference in the lives of children with ASD”, says Luc. “What we don’t know is why some children respond better to certain treatments and approaches than others do, or why we see such a wide range of symptoms and abilities. As parents, we want the best for our children. If there is any way to prevent the tremendous challenges faced by children with ASD, we need to know what that is. Research holds the key to unlocking the possibilities for their future.”
Throughout his first trip, John spoke about autism and his family's struggle with the neurological disorder. The feedback was incredible and his words brought hope to many people dealing with the elusive symptoms. Individuals with autism are more diverse then they are alike. Common symptoms are impaired ability to engage in social interaction, repeated body movements, unusual attachments to objects, resistance to changes in routine, and extreme sensory sensitivity. This may include severe reactions to noise and touch.
Although the causes of autism are still unknown, current research links autism to biological brain differences. Research suggests there is a genetic base to the disorder and is currently focusing on a number of specific suspected genes. At this moment, there is no known cure for autism or even a treatment method that works for all autistic individuals. However, a combination of education and intervention can enable most to lead productive, happy lives.
For further information about Cycle for Autism visit our website at www.cycleforautism.com Or call us at (905) 832-3959. Donations can be made at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch.
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- Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savour.
- Take nothing for granted. Watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.
- Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish.
- Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
- Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or possess. God's gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.
- When you talk to someone, don't think about what you will say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them.
- Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside of you.
- Create a place in your home...at your work...in your heart...where your can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.
- Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity.
- Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesturday and tomorrow - and now. NOW counts.
- Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition.
- Talk slower.. Talk less.. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.
- Listen to the song of a bird; the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them.
- Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull.
- Make time for play. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation.
- Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks.
- Listen to the words you speak.
- Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
- Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe, can you hope to do any better?
- Take time to read. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
- Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.
- Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one.
- Work with your hands. It frees the mind.
- Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
- Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell. Less really can be more.
- Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do - but often it is the best.
- Take a walk - but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.
- Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are blessed. Bless them in return.
- Count your blessings...one at a time and slowly
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Dr Seuss Explains Why Computers Sometimes Crash
If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted at a very last resort,
and the access of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report.
If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
and the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
and your data is corrupted cause the index doesn't hash,
then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash!
If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
but your packets want to tunnel to another protocol,
that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,
and your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,
so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,
then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,
'cuz sure as I'm a poet, that sucker's gonna hang!
When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy in the disk,
and the macro code instructions cause unnecessary risk,
then you'll have to flash the memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM
then quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your Mom!
WELL! That certainly clears things up for ME!
NOAH'S ARK
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark...
One: Don't miss the boat Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. Six: Build your future on high ground. Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs. Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were onboard with the cheetahs. Nine: When your stressed, float awhile. Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs;the Titanic by professionals. Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
- If you're too open-minded, your brains fall out.
- Age is a very high price for maturity.
- Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
- Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
- If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you haven't tried before.
- My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
- Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
- It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
- For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
- If you look like your passport picture you probably need the trip.
- Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques.
- A conscience is what hurts when all other parts feel so good.
- Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
- Men are from earth, women are from earth, deal with it.
- No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
- Middle age is when broadness of mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
- Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
- Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
- There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
- Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
- Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
- Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
- Doctors can be frustrating. You wait a month-and-a-half for an appointment,
and he says, "I wish you'd come to me sooner."
Compliments of an online friend in Australia!
Notices:
The Annual General Meeting of the Early Intervention Association
of Nova Scotia will take place on Friday June 20th in the Parker Room of the
IWK Health Centre.
All are welcome!
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities:
May 3, 2003 |
Community Autism Centre Inc. Contact at 1-506 642-1128 or n6edi@nb.aibn.com Fee: $139.99 |
| May 3, 2003 St. Joseph's College of Early Childhood Education 2nd Annual Conference Halifax |
Growing & Learning Together Contact 1-902- 423-7114 or ecestjoe@ns.sympatico.ca |
| May 3 - 4, 2003 Intensive Behavior Instruction Workshop Bedford Nova Scotia |
Check the Autism Society Nova Scotia website for more info... www.autismsocietynovascotia.ca |
| May 15 - 17, 2003 The Canadian Down Syndrome Society National Conference Vancouver, BC |
Explore Beyond Contact J.T.Weber at (604)-274-6120 or jtweber@telus.net |
| May 31 - June 1, 2003 Dartmouth June 6 -7, 2003 Middleton, Truro June 7 - 8, 2003 Shelburne, Stellarton June 12 - 13, 2003 Sackville June 13 - 14, 2003 Sydney June 16 - 17, 2003 Halifax |
Building Blocks: Strategies for Inclusion Training Project. Contact Patty Monaghan (902) 452-4518 or pmonaghan@hfx.eastlink.ca |
| June 6 -7, 2003 SCERTS Model of Intervention (autism) with Emily Rubin & Amy Laurent Saint John, New Brunswick |
Contact Community Autism Centre Inc. Contact at 1-506- 642-1128 or n6edi@nb.aibn.com Fee: $200.00 |
| June 20 - 21, 2003 Multimodal Communication and Adaptive Play in Infants IWK Halifax, NS |
Sponsored by EINS, IWK and NSHSC Contact Caroline Gallop at 1-902-864-5251 or sbeip@ns.sympatico.ca Fee: $130.00 |
| July 9 - 12, 2003 Biennial Conference Halifax, Nova Scotia |
Canadian Association of Educators of the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Contact Barb Randall at 1-902-424-0826 or randallb@apsea.ca |
The Institute for Human Service Education in Truro will be offering their Atlantic Summer School for Caregivers and Educators from July 7 to July 18, 2003.
Non Credit Workshops include:
|
Diploma Credit Courses include:
|
Contact: |
Phone: 1-902-893-3342 Fax: 1-902-895-4487 email: admin@inst-hse.ca |
The Early Intervention Association
of Nova Scotia exists as an organization to advocate for and increase awareness
of Early Intervention in the community. The Association promotes personal
and professional development to support infants and children with special
needs and their families.
...
The next edition of the EINS Newsletter will be published
in mid-October 2003.
Please send all submissions by September 30, 2003 to:
Barb Boiduk, Newsletter Editor
P.O.Box 977, Amherst, NS
B4H 4E1
Fax: 902-667-0661
Email: ceip@ns.sympatico.ca
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